Thursday, June 15, 2017

Haven Plaza, the affordable-housing complex on Avenue C, is getting a natural disaster-resistant infrastructure to protect it in case of another hurricane with the force of Sandy.

Officials recently broke ground on the $9.89-million project, which will rise at 13th Street.

Here are more details via the official news release on the project:

This new two-story structure plus basement and the upgrades throughout the complex are in direct response to 2012’s Hurricane Sandy, when the nearby East River overflowed its banks, the Con Edison East River Generating Station adjacent to Haven Plaza exploded, and, as a result, Haven Plaza lost all electricity and steam for heat. Residents – many elderly – were trapped without elevator service, electricity, heat or water. Men and women of the National Guard shared their field rations with residents until the power returned.

The New York City Department of Housing Preservation and Development and the New York City Housing Development Corporation awarded nearly $10 million to Haven Plaza for the project through the New York City Build It Back program.

Here's more in a statement from Daniel Allen, principal of CTA Architects, the project's designer:

"The new facility addresses Haven Plaza’s need to be self-sufficient during both regular operations and in case of a natural disaster, instead of relying on a costly ConEd steam supply. We also wanted the new structure to be architecturally attractive due to its visibility on a high-trafficked location. The front façade will be glazed to allow the passers-by to view the inner works of the building and equipment within."

This is so sad. Piecemeal projects that do not at all address the next flood equitably.

Where is the barrier along the East River that was discussed heatedly by city officials several years ago and which would protect a lot more people? Did those those officials all cash out and move inland to the Catskills or the highlands of Park Slope and Staten Island?

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